Campus News
Support for Federal accessibility requirements in courses, effective April 2026
New federal regulations will take effect requiring that higher education institutions ensure their digital content meets accessibility standards. Between now and April, we ask that you review your course materials for accessibility barriers and begin to address them.
Dear Colleagues,
On April 24, 2026, new federal regulations will take effect requiring that higher education institutions ensure their digital content meets accessibility standards. As we shared in a June 18, 2025 email and campus news article, this includes course materials in Canvas and on websites. We’re now writing to provide concrete tools and support as the compliance deadline approaches.
What this means for you
Between now and April, we ask that you review your course materials for accessibility barriers and begin to address them—things like images without descriptions, documents that screen readers can’t parse, or videos without captions. The scope of work depends on your courses: some may need minimal updates, while others may require more substantial changes. We are providing tools and support to make this manageable but want to be direct: this is a compliance requirement for all classes and for all digital content, not an optional enhancement.
Note that for courses with students who require additional accommodations from the Disability Resource Center, the DRC will continue to support instructors to implement those accommodations.
New tool available now: UDOIT in Canvas
UDOIT (“You Do It”) scans your Canvas courses and identifies common accessibility issues—missing headings, images without alt text, non-descriptive links. It then provides step-by-step fixes you can make directly.
- Available now for early adopters (UDOIT Getting Started Guide)
- Automatic rollout: Winter 2026 (will appear in all course navigation)
- Visible only to instructors and TAs, not students
UDOIT was funded by a UC Office of the President grant and selected by the Technology Enhanced Teaching and Learning committee specifically to help instructors meet these requirements efficiently.
Expanded support from the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC)
The TLC has built out new accessibility support specifically for this transition:
- Drop-in virtual Accessible Courses and Teaching (ACT) Hours – get help with UDOIT and accessibility questions
- TLC Guide: Creating Accessible Course Materials – practical guidance for common issues
- Accessibility Support Resources from the Resource Library – self-help materials
Recommended actions and timeline to meet the April deadline
- Fall quarter 2025 and winter quarter 2026: Begin reviewing the courses you’ll teach in spring with UDOIT; attend Accessible Courses and Teaching (ACT) office hours and/or workshops
- Spring 2026: Utilize campus resources and TLC support to update remaining materials before the April 24 deadline
- Ongoing: Build accessibility practices into course development and utilize campus resources and TLC support
Understanding the requirements
- Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps (U.S. Department of Justice)
- Digital accessibility video series (U.S. Department of Education)
- UC Santa Cruz Guides: Digital Accessibility Fundamentals and Make IT Accessible
I recognize that these federal requirements arrive during an already demanding period for all aspects of academic work. Our goal is to make compliance manageable, and to ensure that you have the tools and support you need.
Please reach out to the TLC (tlc@ucsc.edu) if you have questions or would like support.
Best regards,
Paul
Paul Koch
Interim Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
This message was sent to faculty and graduate students.